Newbie help

[torrasque666]

Now this isn't about how I personally am a bit of a n00b when it comes to DM(though I am) but about how to help a new player in my group. My girlfriend expressed interest in joining the group that summons me through Summon Rules Lawyer III. She was the one who I was helping build a character a week or two ago. Sidenote : She went the Totem Rager route.


But that's neither here nor there. My group meets weekly and we played tonight. It was the first time that she had played D&D and I failed in my duty as mentor to properly teach her how to play. Seriously, I forgot to teach her what and when to roll for stuff. We both showed a bit of unfamiliarity with her character and its proceedings(first MoI exposure yay.......) and she want to get better by next week. Should I:

A) run a one-shot with her(and just her)? If so, any ideas for good preexisting modules to run her through? Or....
B) just run a dungeon-crawl with a random dungeon generator (at significantly lower level) to try and teach her?

[SVentura77]

Give her the PHB. Tell her to read it! Tell her to read the section on her class, on skills, and on combat! It'll work.

If it doesn't work then read those sections yourself and summarize them to her. After all of this, then maybe run a one-shot with her if you've got the time.

~S~

[Sir Garanok]

Give her the PHB. Tell her to read it!

I would definetely not recommend that,you need to give them action not reading.

What level is the party?

Low levels and basic classes with few abilities(no spellcasting) are good to get you started.

[Petrocorus]

Don't ask her to read the rules, that not very welcoming for a newbie. Specially a GF who may be doing this to share your hobby.

Take the time, before next session to explain to her the basic rule of the game: Classes, levels, BAB and AC, Spells and Saves and Skills. Make an emphasis on the mechanics she really needs, ie BAB and AC and skills. The whole thing should need less than 20 minutes. Then let her read the description of her class, with you on her side, and explain the specific features of her class. I don't know how difficult is the Totem Rager build, it's a Barbarian Totemist, that's it? Then you start the game with the players and she will put to practice what you just explained. As the DM, you'll tell her when she need to saves and why. And she will learn and understand the other subsystems during game.